


Weapons Practice

by rawr_balrog



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-23
Updated: 2011-02-23
Packaged: 2017-10-15 21:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/165078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawr_balrog/pseuds/rawr_balrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even angels have a learning curve. Pre-series young!Castiel and Gabriel brotherly bonding. [comment-fic prompt: "flaming swords are painful"]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Weapons Practice

Suddenly, Castiel found himself in a barn, surrounded by hay and straw. He looked up at his elder, feeling small. "But Gabriel!" he said, "everything here is flammable!"

Gabriel laughed at him, and mussed his hair. "You have the Grace of Heaven at your disposal, little brother, and you're worried about a little fire?" He whipped out his own sword, sheathed in white hot flames, and tossed it carelessly into a heap of straw. Nothing ignited.

Castiel narrowed his eyes, and then planted his own sword into a hay bale. It caught immediately. The flames spread, licking eagerly up the wooden walls and dangling ropes. Castiel scrambled to retrieve his sword, which burned his hands, and frantically prayed for his grace to douse the flames. "I... I... Gabriel!"

His older brother was hunched over, tears of laughter streaming down his face. Between gasps for air, he reached out and snapped his fingers. The flames vanished and the barn restored itself.

"Not fair," Castiel muttered, re-sheathing his sword more roughly than necessary. "Brother! I thought we came here so you could help me."

"Yes, yes," Gabriel sighed, wiping errant tears from his face. "I did promise you; just give me a second. Oh, Cas, this is why I love spending time with you." He took a deep breath, then raised his sword--which was suddenly in his hand, Castiel noticed; he'd have to learn that trick--and sunk into a defensive stance. "Okay, come at me."

Castiel frowned, and drew his sword again. He examined the perfect lines of his brother's stance, his even stare, his firm grip. In times like this, Castiel thought he may never measure up to his mentor. But he shoved that thought aside, gritted his teeth, and then sprung forward.

They met with a loud crack, above Castiel's head. Sparks showered into his face, but he didn't flinch this time. He slid his sword out from under Gabriel's, spun away. Above, below, left, right. Castiel was behind him--no, Gabriel was behind Castiel. Springing off the support beam, then in the center of the floor, then the hayloft, all in a series of seconds.

Castiel was barely aware of their movements, but he was _keeping up_ this time! Maybe it would be different! He gripped the hilt in both hands, and lunged forward for the finish. He could do this, he could--ow.

 _Ow._

He choked. Burning pain threaded through his limbs, and somewhere in his abdomen-- _ow!_ His sword clattered to the ground, and Castiel fell with it.

"Cas? Cas! Oh, Cas, I'm so sorry, I never expected you to lunge like that!" Strong arms gripped his shoulders, easing him back. Fingers deftly probed his wound. Castiel hissed involuntarily. "Hey, you'll be fine. Let's just get you back." Gabriel maneuvered Castiel's arm around his neck, and steadied him with an arm around his back, helping him stand.

"Ow. Gabriel!" Castiel growled, grimacing against the uncomfortable movement.

"Yeah?"

"Flaming swords are painful."

In spite of the situation, Gabriel laughed. The sound was heavy, full of guilt and relief. Castiel would have laughed, too, if the feeling didn't make him want to die.

"Next time," he continued bitterly, "I'll show you how much."

"Yeah, yeah," Gabriel said, "we'll see about that, little brother." He felt Gabriel’s grace well up around them, and then they were gone.


End file.
